Hi guys - yup, lurking...
It is also VERY common for this to happen on an older model - even on the newer ones ! -
There are several failure modes -
1. Complete loss of steering (goes extremely heavy) warning light on - clears after turning off ignition, waiting around 10 seconds, then turning back on.
2. Warning light and no loss of powered steering .
3. Any problem with the steering where any of the following occur - loss of power to one side (left or right) - difference in power L and R - lack of return to centre, strange noses, steering pulling to one side under power (rule out tyres etc!)
It is really item 3 that tends to indicate a serious problem - usually exactly as the good sir stated, with the torque sensor. - the only cure for that is a replacement - either of the sensor itself, the upper shroud and sensor, or, the complete steering assembly. Prices are not too bad and I would (unusually for me
) NOT recommend fiat for this job !!!. (although IF it was replaced - it would need to be calibrated by someone with the right equipment - sometimes you can get away without calibration if wheel is centred and column and sensor has been setup before hand - but not often)
However, what you appear to have is not, at this stage, indicative to me of a torque sensor problem. I would do the following -
Firstly, dont worry at this stage about it as it can and does happen for many reasons.
Do the following.
Check the tyre pressures !! low pressures can induce a high current load causing a trip out - often at a most innappropriate time - like halfway around a roundabout. ! yikes..
Then, clean the battery terminals - actually disconnect them and make sure they are clean - use a small amount of vaseline on the connections, same applies for the small connection on the bus bars on the battery terminals.
Ensure the battery is healthy - have it checked. ! - the Delphi ecu in the steering is VERY sensitive to low battery voltage - it also has direct connections to the battery - via a fuse in the live.
In the engine bay, remove the fuse box cover while the battery is disconnected, and remove the high current fuse(s) - 60 or 70A ones - and ensure they are clean, and also the socket for them is clean.
You can buy 'electrical switch cleaner' - servisol is a good make ! - and spray this into the fuse sockets - any sign of corrosion etc ensure nice and clean with a bit of scothbright. again, a tiny bit of vaseline and replace.
If you get the switch cleaner, disconnect the battery, remove the main ecu connections from next to the battery box and spray the ecus socket and the plug - then replace.
DO NOT use wd40 etc, it must be proper electrical contact cleaner !!!. even MAPLIN do it - code N61AN .. that is fine..
it may never do it again !.
And, unless it actually suffers from fault type 3, is highly unlikely to be serious.
The other area to look at - if you can get to it ! - is the connection to the Delphi steering ecu itself - (it is under the motor assemby of the steering unit) - (about the size of a 2 ounce tobacco tin and finned)
Remove the inner fuse panel cover (2 screws - where your right knee is on a rhd car) and then get out of the car and look - you will see the steering motor - then underneath the ecu - IF you can get to the connections - with battery off - unplug, spray switch cleaner - replace - however - it is difficult and almost always the problem is under the bonnet if electrical.
I really would not, at this stage worry about it.. just take the above course of action - often just ensuring battery terminals are clean and fuses is enough - any doubt about the battery AT ALL, then replace it - a weak battery on a panda can cause untold issues with signalling over the canbus - sometime I am sure that as the battery breaks down internally the canbus signals are subject to interference from the cell structure arcing inside the cells of the battery ! - one often sees 'canbus' error messages when the battery is failing - and any 'can' error message can cause mutiple other errors.
Torque sensor errors do tend to be very specific in their manifestation. Yours, luckily, does not seem to point that way.
Hope that helps, it should be fine. !
